Paul and Lucy Spadoni periodically live in Tuscany to explore Paul’s Italian roots, practice their Italian and enjoy “la dolce vita.”
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Friday, March 29, 2013

Free wine tour nothing to whine about

Thursday, March 28, 2013
Martin Luther is attributed as saying, “Beer is made by men, wine by God.” I am
not one who enjoys theological arguments, nor would I presume to refute one of
history’s greatest religious scholars. So when given the chance to sample the
goodness of God’s creation, I choose to jump at the chance. Lindsey and I spend
much of our day on a wine and oil tour with Elena Benvenuti and some of her tour guide
colleagues.

Yes, once again I get a free ride, with my only responsibility being to
document my trip with photos and text. Elena thinks I am doing her a favor, but
I came here to experience Italy and write about it anyway, so these little
jaunts fit right into my plans and my budget. The tour is not
typical, though, as the main purpose is for the tour guides to touch base with
the farm management, and most of the conversations are in Italian about
schedules, prices, group sizes and products the farms offer. Still, we get to
see how the wine is made and we get to sample it, so we have absolutely no
complaints.

Our first stop is not a winery, though, but at a bed and
breakfast in Montecarlo whose new owners have put together a fantastic museum
in their cellar. We are fed espresso rather than wine, and then we get a
short tour of the historic Antica Dimora Patrizia, which dates its origins back
to the 1300s. Alessandro and Norina bought the place last year and closed it
down for some refurbishing, and now it looks very inviting. The furnishings are
antique, but they are clean and shiny, so it retains the warm charm of times past
without any touch of shabbiness.

The museo, though, is the highlight. Alessandro has put
together an extensive collection of antique hand tools as well as old photos of
men and women at work in some of the ancient trades and professions. As he
explains how some of the tools were used, I can’t help but think of my dad and
his brothers, uncles, cousins and nephews who were so handy and comfortable
with tools. My eyes get a little misty as I picture Dad, Roy, Rudy and Claude
all together in this room, absorbed in the amazing collection and all talking
animatedly to each other at the same time.

The first vineyard we visit is the Fattoria del Teso, a 63-acre estate

Vinsanto and cantucci

that has
documents proving it has been a wine-producing farm since at least the 12th
century. We are shown the different steps in the process of making vinsanto, a
dessert wine often served with cantucci. Clusters of grapes are set out to dry
on straw or bamboo mats in a well-ventilated room that must be kept at the same
temperature as the outside. This five-month process of essiccazione concentrates the sugars in the grapes, creating a
sweeter wine with a higher than average alcohol level.

Check out the ceiling.

After drying, the grapes
are pressed by a centuries-old method and allowed to ferment and age for 10
years in caratelli, which are small oak barrels. The Fattoria del Teso uses caratelli that came from Ireland, where
they were formerly used for holding whiskey. After the proper amount of grape juice
is poured into a caratello, the
opening is sealed with concrete to prevent the introduction of oxygen. Fill a caratello too full, I am told, and you
risk an explosion. “Has this every happened here?” I ask. Yes, four caratelli exploded in 2003, and when we
enter the next room, I can see the remnants of this event documented on the
ceiling. After 10 years, the caratelli
are opened, the wine filtered and then it must be tested to see if it merits the coveted
DOC label, which certifies it has been properly made.

We also explore the cellar, which is full wall-to-wall with 70 or 80 huge oak
barrels. Sadly, a previous owner of the farm left the barrels empty, which
allowed them to dry out, and they are no longer usable because they would leak
if refilled. The cellar is now used to entertain groups of people, and the
barrels add much to the ambiance, so they are not useless. In addition, they
are gradually in the process of being restored, I am told, though I have little
idea what that process entails.

Big barrels that serve only as ambiance now.

Now it is time to sample a variety of the farm’s offerings, which includes a
white, Vermentino di Teso; a red, Anfidiamante Rosso; and Vinsanto del Teso. I
am not good at describing the various tastes, but I can say they were all
delicious and all quite different. The Anfidiamante is truly like no other wine
I have ever tasted. I am told it has a strong, fruity taste because the vines
bloom at the same time as the wild fruits and vegetables of the surrounding
woods, and cross pollination by the bees contributes to the wine’s flavor. The
vinsanto explodes with sweetness and that unmistakable odor of liquor, yet
somehow it doesn’t taste sugary.

Now we’re on to the Fattoria del Buonamico, only five minutes away. This tenuta—estate—changed ownership in 2008,
and the new owner has invested millions, maybe billions, in the most modern
equipment available. It is packed full of shiny steel and aluminum tanks and
machines replete with computers and control panels. There is a machine to pick
the grapes, a machine to separate the stems and leaves from the grapes and then
another for pressing the grapes—softly, at just the right impact and
temperature, I am told. The fermentation process is also carefully controlled
at the proper rate and temperature for each type of grape. Twelve types of wine
are made, including a spumante, a sparkling rosé made with the Italian Charmat
method. Elena tells me that finding spumante in Tuscany is kind of like “finding a
white fly,” because spumante has typically only been made in France and
Northern Italy.

Shiny, computer-controlled wine vats.

As we sample the wines here, it turns out the sparkling wine passes the
demanding tastes of imported sommelier Lindsey Spadoni, who ends up buying a
bottle. I ask for her expert analysis, and she explains: “It is a little more
flavorful while still being light and champagne-like. I’ve never seen sparkling
rosé before, so it seems quite unusual. And nothing says celebration like a
bubbly drink.”

The last farm is the Fattoria La Torre, which is just below the hill of
Montecarlo and has a best close-up view of the church tower. It is not only a
farm but also a restaurant and agriturismo, and we peek inside one of the empty
apartments, which is spacious, clean and very modern. Perhaps now that I have
more experience tasting wine at the two previous farms, I can do a better job
of describing the Syrah Toscana Esse that we taste. Here we go: “Aromas of tar,
dark chocolate and meat follow through to a full body, with super soft velvety
tannins and a long caressing finish. There’s lots of toasty oak, but this is delicious
all the same. Best after 2009.”

Amazingly, I look at a poster on the wall and find this is word-for-word what one of the professional judges at a wine
show said about it, proof positive that I have become an expert . . .
plagiarist. Anyway, in my own words now, it was good wine, like all the other ones.

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About Me

First off, before you hassle me about our title, Lucy thought of it. Yes, I know some people may think broad is derogatory, but the etymology is uncertain and she doesn’t find it offensive, and it made me laugh. We have been married since 1974 and are empty-nesters now, which allows me to bring my submerged Italophilia into the open. We first came to live in Italy from February-April in 2011 and have returned during the same months every year. From 2011-2015, we lived in San Salvatore, at the foot of the hilltop city Montecarlo, where my paternal grandparents were born, raised and, in 1908, married. In late 2015, we bought a home in Montecarlo. We come for a variety of purposes: We want to re-establish contact with distant cousins in both Nonno’s and Nonna’s families, we want to learn the language and see what it is like to live as Italians in modern Italy, we like to travel and experience different cultures. Even if we aren’t successful at achieving these purposes, we love Italy and enjoy every moment here, so there is no chance we will be disappointed. I am grateful to God for giving me a wife who is beautiful, clever, adaptable and willing to jump into my dreams wholeheartedly.